The night was cold, and we pulled into an old, rundown motel just outside of town. Grandpa didn't speak much as we checked in, his eyes scanning the area like he expected someone to jump out at any moment. Sky stayed in the background, blending into the shadows, his eyes constantly darting around, always watchful.
I tried to sleep, but the anxiety gnawed at me, keeping me awake. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts racing. What was happening? What did Grandpa know that I didn't? And who, exactly, was Sky? Why was he here with us?
I must have drifted off, because when I opened my eyes, the room was still dim, and I could hear Grandpa and Sky talking in low voices just outside the door. I couldn't make out every word, but enough to know they were discussing something important. Something I wasn't supposed to hear.
"They'll be here in two days," Sky's voice drifted into the room, steady and calm. "We don't have much time."
Grandpa's voice was sharp. "We'll be ready. You make sure she's safe."
"Of course," Sky replied, but there was something in his tone that made my heart race. He didn't seem worried. He seemed prepared.
I strained to hear more, but they lowered their voices even further, speaking in hushed tones as if they didn't want me to know. I felt a chill in my bones, like the air itself was heavy with unspoken truths.
"Two days?" Grandpa asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "How are we going to make it?"
Sky didn't answer right away. I could almost hear him calculating in his mind, weighing the odds. "We'll move again tomorrow. Keep her close. Don't let her out of your sight."
Grandpa's sigh was heavy, burdened with the weight of the decision. "I'll do whatever it takes."
There was a long pause before Sky spoke again, his voice soft but firm. "I know."
I lay there in the dark, heart pounding in my chest. Two days. That's how much time we had. But for what? What was coming for us? And why did it feel like I was the only one who didn't know what was going on?
I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep, but the words lingered in my mind, echoing in the silence of the room. Sky's calmness, Grandpa's tension. And the two days. Whatever was coming, it was close.
The next morning, when I finally dared to speak to Sky, he seemed even more distant. He was sitting by the window, his gaze lost somewhere far beyond the motel walls, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I thought maybe he would speak to me, but he didn't. His focus never shifted, and I was left with the eerie feeling that he was already preparing for something.
"Why are you here?" I asked quietly, my voice barely more than a whisper.
Sky turned to look at me, his eyes colder than before, but this time, something shifted beneath the surface. A flicker of something I couldn't name. "I'm here to keep you safe," he said, his voice even, controlled.
It wasn't the answer I wanted, but it was the only one he was willing to give. And for now, it would have to be enough. I didn't know who to trust anymore. Grandpa's secrets, Sky's silence, it was all too much. But one thing was clear: whatever was coming, I wasn't ready for it.